Candidate must:

intend to pursue a research based Master’s or doctoral degree in an NSF-supported field at an accredited US graduate institution

have not completed more than 12 months of full-time graduate studies

Outline

The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines who are pursuing research-based master's and doctoral degrees at accredited United States institutions. Fellows benefit from a three-year annual stipend of $32,000 along with an education allowance for tuition and fees, opportunities for international research and professional development.

Advice from NSF Recipients

Shane Nichols:

Advice: In the first year of my PhD, I wanted to submit an application for the NSF fellowship. My PhD advisor remarked, "you don't currently have enough experience to be competitive, and you haven't given yourself enough time to prepare. The reviewers at the NSF have long memories, and a poor application this year could even hurt your chances next year". So, I waited until my second year and with hard work and months of preparation, I was able to submit a winning application.

Jessica Rothwell:

Advice: My advice to anyone considering applying for scholarships, grants, or graduate school would have to be this - don't doubt yourself, if you don't apply you can't win, so you might as well go for it.

Ilana Gat:

Advice: When applying for a scholarship, you are selling yourself. That is the most important thing you need to remember. You are a salesman, and your product is you. A good salesman sees what the customer needs, and sells them exactly that. So when applying for a scholarship, see what that organization focuses on the most, and sell that.